Suspect Shoots, Kills Self Following Chase

February 15, 2014

What started early Friday as a minor traffic stop escalated into a short chase and ended with one man dead from a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound and another in custody.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol attempted to pull a vehicle over on Ohio 213 for weaving around 2:20 a.m. Friday. The driver, identified as Michael Boone, 32, took off and led troopers on a short chase along county Road 45, where he turned onto Randolph Lane, where he resides, the patrol reported.

Boone and a passenger, Michael Maurer, 32, of 5417 Ohio 213, Richmond, jumped out of the vehicle near Boone's house. Maurer ran over a hill and was apprehended by a trooper, according to Lt. Joseph Fetty.

Another trooper chased Boone into his house but lost sight of him, Fetty said. The trooper backed out of the house when he heard a gunshot, Fetty said. The patrol called in its special response team and the Jefferson County Special Response Team. Both teams worked together to secure the perimeter around the house.

Fetty said a robot was sent into the home and found Boone with a self-inflicted gunshot wound around 4:30 a.m. The investigation inside the home was turned over to the sheriff's department.

Sheriff Fred Abdalla said Maurer had a loaded 9 mm pistol in the belt in the back of his pants when he was apprehended by the trooper.

Boone was an employee of the Steubenville water department.

"Everyone said he was a good guy. Everyone is in shock. Nobody ever expected this," Abdalla said. "We may never know why it happened."

Abdalla said nothing was found inside Boone's house to indicate he was having any problems or provide clues as to why the situation ended as it did.